Hacker Dojo has become well known in the San Francisco
area, although many new, similar communities are growing
throughout the country and world. Creating one is easier
than ever with many people interested in working with
others on every kind of project. Hacker Dojo grew from
regular events that eventually reached more than 400
attendees. This method of getting together at specific times
can be the starting point for a successful organization.

If enough people are interested and want to be able to
spend more time together working on their projects, a
dedicated building could be in order. Alternatively, corporate
venues could house the larger events. Sponsorship by
companies is also possible for developing clubs. When taking
the step up to buying a facility, David Weekly (one of the
founders of Hacker Dojo) warns to “never ever ever ever ask
the city for a condition use permit for a dojo.” Besides that
caveat, the rest of the process is different for every group.

Getting members for the organization — especially
paying members — can be difficult. David advocates inviting
colleagues and everyone that may be interested. Spreading
the word via social networking sites is also a good idea. A
slow expansion that builds the community is the perfect way
of creating a dojo for developers and engineers to enjoy.

not restricted by the requirements of a specific
conference or contest. Sometimes these plans
can move on to real life products or remain an
exciting hobby.

Closing Thoughts

Hacker Dojo brought all kinds of makers and
hackers out of their offices and garages into an
environment ready for developing the latest
hobby technology advances. While Hacker Dojo
is in Silicon Valley, other communities around the
country and world have set up similar
institutions.

Denmark is holding the next Random Hacks
of Kindness conference as part of the Climate
Change Conference. Super Happy Dev House —
the event that inspired Hacker Dojo — has also
expanded to diverse locations like Germany, the
United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Besides
large events, the number of hacker communities
is also growing. SV